by Naomi Bang ‘23 Just days after the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, the Biden administration oversaw one of the largest oil and gas lease sales in the United States. The federal auction generated over $190 million and offered up to 80 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to be used for oil and gas drilling leases. … Read More
by Matthew Kauffman ‘23 The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, was removed via crane on September 8 after a drawn-out controversy muddled by protests and lawsuits. Stonewall Jackson was also torn down, and Jefferson Davis was vandalized with graffiti and toppled. Former Vice President John C. Calhoun, who owned about 80 slaves, was removed from … Read More
by Selene Ashewood ‘22 and Rachel Klein ‘22 Famous rapper Travis Scott faces legal and media backlash after at least 10 deaths, including that of nine year old Ezra Blount, occurred at his concert on November 5–the first day of Astroworld Festival in Houston. Tight spaces and often-encouraged rowdiness of the crowd created conditions which injured some of the 50,000+ … Read More
by Sydney Wiser ‘23 On August 25, 2020, amidst a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, two people were fatally shot and another was wounded by 17-year-old Illinois native, Kyle Rittenhouse. The protest was in response to the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer and, although mostly peaceful, resulted in some instances of … Read More
Lizzy Hermosilla ’23 The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government, and freedom of press. A cornerstone of American democracy is the free press that informs the public as well as acts as a watchdog for the public to hold the government accountable. High school newspaper publications are in theory … Read More
by Reade Fenner ‘22 Freedom of speech in schools has been a prevalent issue for decades, made more controversial and contentious by the invention of social media. In June, the Supreme Court ruled in the case Mahonoy Area School District vs. Levy, and although the court’s decision in favor of the student has significant implications on the extent to which … Read More
by Jena Le ‘23 The College Board is a modern-day monopoly that has cornered the education market for grades 9-12. Because of this and the added benefits of being categorized as a non-profit, the College Board has become a massively wealthy organization that is able to charge its customers almost whatever it wants for its entrance exams and AP exams. … Read More
By Dylan Sondike ‘24 With the 2021 “off-season” elections just around the corner, one race in particular will give a good idea of what to expect for the 2022 midterms that determine which party controls the U.S. House and Senate. Next Tuesday on November 2,businessman Glenn Youngkin will attempt to become the first Republican Governor in Virginia in 12 years … Read More
by Tatiana Rodriguez ‘23 According to data found from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “over 100 people, on average, are killed by firearms in the U.S. everyday.” Despite such statistics, there is wide political disagreement about the accessibility and prevalence of guns in the United States. In addition to those that believe that there is a constitutional … Read More
Solaiman Hassanin ‘23 From the murky skies of Beijing, the decision was made: China would no longer build coal power plants in other countries. For some, it was a monumental step in the direction of true climate action. It was a pathway out of the dark into a world where struggling nations would receive help and expertise in renewable energy, … Read More